Sleigh Bells In Crimson

She moved toward the bookshelves in the family room, which were filled with volumes on outdoor life and classics she’d expect a man like Garrett to read—Hemingway and Twain—with the occasional modern thriller thrown in for good measure. A collection of framed photos took up an entire shelf, and she could piece together the Sharpe family history from the faces smiling out at her.

There was one of a beautiful young woman holding a toddler, who grinned widely and wore cowboy boots a size too big for him. The woman’s hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and she wore no makeup, but she didn’t need any. She stood in front of a split-rail fence with a dozen cattle grazing behind her.

The next photo showed the same boy, who Lucy assumed was Tyson Sharpe, as a gangly adolescent with his arm slung around Caden’s shoulder. Lucy could easily recognize his mutinous scowl, although in the photo he was all gangly arms and skinny shoulders. He was glaring at the camera, a fact that his brother seemed to enjoy immensely.

Another photo showed both Tyson and Caden wearing graduation gowns and caps, Garrett with an arm wrapped around each of them. Caden had started to grow into his body by that point, and Tyson had also become a wildly handsome young man with thick blond hair and a careless grin so different from that of his brother’s tight smile.

Lucy’s breath caught at the final photo. It showed Tyson and Caden at the base of a sheer cliff, both wearing climbing gear. Caden was a few inches taller than his brother, but what punched at Lucy’s chest was the pure joy displayed in the photo.

Caden’s head was thrown back in laughter, and Tyson was grinning and looking at Caden with a good bit of love and adoration. The bond between the brothers had clearly been solidified at that point. At least in the second the photo was snapped, Caden had dropped his defenses to revel in whatever moment they were having.

She couldn’t help but be curious as to the circumstances of Tyson’s death and why Caden seemed to take the blame for it. She wished she’d asked her mother for more details, although there was a good chance Maureen wouldn’t be aware of the situation since it didn’t affect her directly.

The sound of the front door opening and male voices coming closer interrupted her musings. She whirled away from the bookcase and took two hurried steps toward the middle of the room, feeling somehow like she’d been spying on Caden by looking at the photos.

He appeared in the hall a moment later, and color rushed to Lucy’s cheeks as his stark gaze landed on her. She cursed her pathetic and weak body, which reacted to the way he was studying her with an involuntary shiver.

How was she supposed to keep her distance from this man when she could almost feel the current of attraction pulsing between them?

“Are you casing the place now that my dad’s away?” he asked drily, offering an acute reminder of why it would be easy to stay away from him.

Because he was a jerk.

“You must be Maureen’s daughter,” the other man said and strode forward to take Lucy’s hand. She guessed he was younger than Caden by at least five years. His light blond hair fell over hazel eyes that were wide and welcoming. “Your mom is awesome. She’s pretty hot, too. A real MILF—”

“Chad.” Caden’s voice was like a slap, cutting off Chad midsentence. Lucy had to admit she was grateful. She should have been used to how men both young and old reacted to her mother. Yet it still made her as uncomfortable now as it had when she was a kid. There were many years she’d lied to her mother about school activities just to avoid Maureen showing up in her plunging necklines and thigh-grazing hems to flirt with unsuspecting teachers or the fathers of Lucy’s few friends.

The younger man chuckled. “Sorry,” he said, although he didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “But, sweetheart, you clearly inherited your looks from your mama.”

“I’m not your sweetheart,” Lucy said softly, earning another chuckle from the man.

“Not yet, anyway,” he said with a wink.

Lucy rolled her eyes but felt the corners of her mouth curve up. There was something so inherently charismatic about Chad, not to mention how handsome he was. In his tight jeans, cowboy boots and fitted flannel shirt, he reminded Lucy of a young Brad Pitt circa Thelma and Louise.

Not that she had any intention of driving her car over the edge of a cliff or getting involved with an obvious player like Chad. But it was fun to be on the receiving end of that thousand-watt smile, especially when Caden was looming at the far end of the room, glowering at the two of them.

“I’m Chad Penderson and I work here at Sharpe Ranch.”

“I’m Lucy Renner.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Lucy.” He took a step back and gave her a courtly bow. “If you need anything while you’re here, just let me know.” He straightened again and wiggled his brows. “I do mean anything.”

Lucy heard something that sounded like a growl from Caden, but Chad’s grin only widened. “How long are you staying at the ranch?”

She shrugged. “The plan is for me to stay through the wedding. Garrett has asked me to go over the books and—”

“Not necessary,” Caden interrupted, stepping forward.

She bristled at his dismissive tone. Lucy had spent too much time being dismissed to ever let it pass without a fight. “That’s not what your father seems to think.”

“We have a financial manager who’s taken over the accounting since...” He paused, then said, “For the past couple of years. He’s immensely qualified.”

He didn’t add the words unlike you, but Lucy felt them linger in the air just the same.

“You can hang out with me,” Chad offered. “It’s quiet around here in the winter but there’s plenty of work to go around. You know how to ride a horse?”

“Not really,” Lucy admitted.

“Then I can teach you.”

“She’s not learning to ride with you,” Caden said, his voice pitched low.

“Listen to Mr. Party Pooper back there.” Chad hitched a thumb in Caden’s direction. “Speaking of parties, I’m meeting some friends in town tonight for a little pre-Christmas bash. Why don’t you join us?”

Lucy shook her head. “I don’t think—”

“Come on,” Chad coaxed. “You’ll have more fun with me than stuck out here with Caden.” He threw a glance over his shoulder. “No offense, boss, but you’re about as much fun as mucking a hog pen.”

“She’s not going with you. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s finish fixing the heater before the water freezes.”

“As in, we won’t have running water?” Lucy asked, trying not to sound panicked. She was by no means spoiled but definitely enjoyed a hot shower on a cold morning.

Chad winked. “We have to keep the water troughs heated for the cattle.”

“Can’t they eat snow?”

“No, darlin’. One of the biggest threats to livestock in the winter is the cold. The snow lowers their body temperature, which could be deadly. Our job is to keep them warm and safe.”

“Oh.”

Caden folded his arms over his big chest. “Your job is not standing in the house jawing all afternoon, Chad. You wanted a cup of coffee. Get it and let’s go.”

“If you change your mind about tonight, I’ll be leaving here around seven.” Chad pointed out the window toward a smaller structure about ten feet behind the main barn. “I’m out in the bunkhouse.” Another wink. “For your information.”

“She’s not going,” Caden repeated, glaring at Lucy over Chad’s shoulder.

If there was one thing Lucy hated, it was being told what to do. By anyone. It had led to some monumentally stupid decisions on her part, but it was a part of herself she couldn’t seem to rein in.

“I’d love to go to your Christmas party,” she told Chad, offering a slight smile.

“Hot damn,” the young cowboy said, slapping his knee. “I’ve got me a date.”

He shot Caden a gloating smile. “You hear that, old man? Miss Lucy here is going to be my date for the evening.”

Caden said nothing, but Lucy could almost see the smoke curling from his ears.

“I’ll see you later, darlin’,” Chad crooned before leaving the room.

Caden didn’t move, just continued staring at Lucy.

“Of course it’s not a date,” she said after a moment, pulling at the hem of the pale pink sweater she wore. Having lived in Florida for so many years, she had very little in the way of warm clothes and wondered if there was any discount shopping to be found in Crimson. “He’s far too young for me.”

“That won’t matter to Chad.” Caden spoke through clenched teeth. “Don’t let the aw-shucks act fool you. That boy is a player.”

Lucy wasn’t sure whether to be offended that he hadn’t denied she was too old for Chad or flattered that Caden was, in his own awkward way, trying to protect her from being hurt. “I’m not in the market for getting played. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He looked as though he wanted to argue, but said, “I wasn’t kidding about the ranch finances. One of Tyson’s friends from high school who’s a CPA has taken over since...”

“Since your brother died?” she asked gently.

“Yeah.”

“My mom told me it was a rock climbing accident. I’m sorry.”

Once again, Caden’s silence stretched so long she thought he might not respond. He looked past her, out the window into the darkening night. His green eyes filled with so much sorrow that Lucy felt an answering pull of sadness in her chest.

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said finally. “His accident was my fault.”

Lucy gasped, and Caden’s gaze shot to hers. All the vulnerability that had been there moments before was gone, his expression carefully blank.

“You don’t belong here,” he said, his voice so low she had to strain to make out the words. “I’ll hurt you whether I want to or not. It’s what I do.”

Then he turned and walked away.

Chapter Four

Caden pulled open the door of Elevation Brewery later that night, the heat and noise of a festive bar crowd spilling out into the cold. He took a deep breath, then walked in, scanning the faces of the people without making eye contact with any of them.

“Caden!”

He stifled an amused sigh and turned to the dark-haired, dark-eyed woman waving to him like mad from a seat at the bar.

“Caden, over here!” she shouted as if he hadn’t heard her the first time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy Renner glance over her shoulder. But he ignored both Lucy and Chad, who were huddled together near the pool tables at the far corner of the bar, and moved toward the woman still feverishly waving at him.

“He sees you,” David McCay, the bar’s owner, told Erin MacDonald as Caden approached. The tall brewer with the overly long blond hair and a good two weeks of beard leaned forward to plant a kiss on the mouth of his fiancée.

“I didn’t think he’d come,” Erin said against David’s lips before swiveling her chair to face Caden. “I’m so glad you finally took me up on my offer.”

Caden blinked, looking around like one of the other bar patrons might be able to shed some light on what the sweet-tempered schoolteacher was talking about. Because he sure as hell had no idea.

David gave a soft chuckle. “He’s not here for you, darlin’.”

“I texted you about meeting here to talk about the animal-adoption open house next weekend.” Erin pointed a finger at him. “You’ve ignored my invitations to hang out with David and me for weeks. I figured bringing the animals into it might motivate you to agree. That’s why you came tonight, right?”

“Um, sure.” Caden’s gaze strayed to Lucy, who was leaning over the pool table to set up a shot. Several of the men standing near her were watching her with interest, but Chad had his arm draped around the shoulder of a buxom blonde.

He started when Erin placed a hand on his arm. “I’m not going to be offended that you ignored me once again because this is even better. You’re here for a woman.”

“I’m not,” he answered, but Erin was craning her neck to get a better look at Lucy.

“She’s pretty. Not from around here, I’d guess. Tell me all about her.”

Caden shot a help-me glance toward David, who gave him a you’re-on-your-own shrug.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Caden said with a sigh.

“Come on.” Erin grinned up at him. “You never come into town, especially on a Friday night. She must be special.”

“She’s here with Chad. It’s not a big deal.”

“I don’t think she’s leaving with Chad,” David said, inclining his head toward the back of the bar.

Caden turned to see Chad and the blonde in the midst of a hot and heavy makeout session. Lucy was on the other side of the pool table, talking to a group of men, some of whom Caden recognized as locals. A moment later Chad and his new woman came up for air, then quickly headed for the bar’s entrance. His ranch hand disappeared into the night without sparing another glance at Lucy.

“Damn,” he muttered. “I tried to warn her.”

“Were they on a date?” Erin asked, sympathy lacing her voice.

“I don’t think so. Maybe. Hell, who knows with Chad? But he was definitely her ride home.”

“So now you’ll take care of her,” Erin said matter-of-factly. “And you can tell us all about how you two met.”

“It’s not important.”

Erin let out a sigh. “Fine. If you won’t share, maybe she will.” She stood on the stool’s footrest and waved Lucy over when she glanced up, presumably looking for Chad.

Caden saw confusion darken her eyes, and then something else crept in when her gaze landed on him. But she moved toward them, weaving her way through the brewery’s high-spirited patrons.

Several male heads turned as she passed, but she didn’t slow her progress.

“She’s not my responsibility,” he said quietly.

“She’s the reason you’re here,” Erin responded. “Gosh, she’s even prettier than I first thought.”

“Not nearly as pretty as you,” David whispered.

“You’re sweet,” Erin told her fiancé, but Caden barely registered their conversation.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Lucy.

Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a burgundy-colored sweater with the fabric cut out at both shoulders, giving him the most tantalizing glimpse of bare skin. It was totally inappropriate clothing for a December night in Colorado, and Caden thanked his lucky stars that Lucy came from a warmer climate.

“So you’re not a party pooper after all,” she said as she came to stand directly in front of him.

He cocked a brow. “I told you a date with Chad was a bad idea.”

“I told you it wasn’t a date.”

“Obviously not since he just left with another woman.”

“Oh.” Her glossy lips formed the syllable and Caden’s body tightened in response.

“He ditched you, Lucy.” Caden knew he was being purposely cruel, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. It bothered him on some primal level that she’d gone out with Chad, and he certainly planned to have a serious conversation with his ranch hand about how to treat a woman.

“Was it the cute little blond-haired woman?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good for him,” she said, a slow smile lighting up her face. “Her name is Jessica and he has such a crush on her. All I heard about most of the night was how she’s been dating some guy who doesn’t treat her right. She finally broke up with him last week. Tonight was Chad’s big chance but he was so nervous. I gave him some tips and—”

“You and Chad were over there talking about how he could put the moves on another woman? The last thing that boy needs is more moves.”

“He really likes her,” she said. “I get that he seems smooth, but it’s different when the woman means something, you know?”

Caden wasn’t sure how to answer that. He thought he’d been in love once, but that experience had not only torn apart his heart, it had done some major collateral damage to his relationship with his brother.

“I know exactly what you mean,” Erin said from behind him. She nudged his shoulder and he stepped to the side so that Erin could pull Lucy closer. “Why do men act like idiots when they have real feelings for a woman?”

“I wasn’t an idiot,” David protested gently.

Erin rolled her brown eyes toward the ceiling. “You were a total idiot.” She reached for Lucy’s hand and pumped it enthusiastically. “Hi, I’m Erin MacDonald and this is my fiancé, David McCay.” She leaned in closer and added, “He’s a reformed idiot.”

“Can I get you a beer?” David asked Lucy with a chuckle.

“He also owns Elevation Brewery. We’re friends of Caden’s.”

Lucy gave Caden a funny look out of the corner of her eye, as if she found it difficult to believe he actually had friends. “Nothing more for me,” she told David. “I had a couple of pints of the wheat beer earlier—which was amazing, by the way. But I’m definitely feeling the altitude.”

“The alcohol hits you hard up here,” David confirmed.

“Caden was just about to tell us how the two of you met,” Erin said.

Lucy arched a brow in Caden’s direction. “Really?”

“It would probably be better coming from you.” Erin placed a hand on Lucy’s arm like they were old friends. “Our Caden is kind of the strong, silent type, if you know what I mean.”

“My mother is marrying his father,” Lucy said, thankfully not commenting on what she thought about his “type.”

“Maybe,” he muttered, earning a frown from both women.

David handed him a tall glass of dark beer. “You look like you could use this.”

“I’ve seen her around town,” Erin told Lucy. “She and Garrett seem so happy together. She’s really pretty. You look like her.”

Lucy’s gaze strayed to Caden once again, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was thinking about the rude comment he’d made when they first met.

Then she smiled at Erin. “Thank you. My mom and Garrett left this morning for a prewedding trip to New York City.”

“How romantic,” Erin breathed.

Caden snorted, causing beer to slosh over the side of the pint glass. David handed him a napkin.

“Will they be back for the adoption open house?” Erin asked, turning to Caden.

“Doubtful. I’m guessing Maureen will want to stay in the city and spend as much of Garrett’s money as she can manage.”

Erin gasped. “That’s a rude thing to say, Caden. And unlike you. You know better than most people what it’s like to be judged unfairly. I’m disappointed you’d stoop to that level, especially talking about Lucy’s mom when she’s standing right in front of you.”

“Sorry,” Caden mumbled, feeling suddenly like he was a kid being reprimanded by his favorite teacher. He could only imagine how bad the kindergarteners in Erin’s class felt when they messed up. Erin might look like she was as harmless as a kitten, but she definitely had sharp claws.

David covered his mouth with one hand to hide a smile while Lucy raised a brow and moved slightly closer to Erin, as if her new friend would shield her from Caden’s wrath. He gave himself a mental head shake as guilt pinged through him. Still, he hadn’t said anything about Lucy’s mother that wasn’t the truth, and they both knew it.

He placed the glass of beer on the bar. “We should head back to the ranch.”

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the adoption open house?” she asked Erin, ignoring Caden.

“Have you seen Caden’s pet-rescue operation?” Erin rolled her eyes. “When he’s not being Mr. Rudepants, Caden takes in unwanted animals from around the county.”

“The ones in the barn?”

Erin nodded. “They’re animals no one else wanted. He rehabilitates them, does training and then matches them with forever families.”

He saw Lucy’s mouth drop open. “Seriously?”

“Did you think I was selling them to some kind of lab for experiments?” he asked, not caring that the words came out a growl.

“No,” Lucy answered after a moment. “I thought you were a pet hoarder.”

“Are you kidding me?”

She flashed a grin that made his heart stutter. “Yes.”

She turned back to Erin, who was watching him with a gleam in her eye Caden didn’t trust in the least.

He picked up the beer again and took a long drink.

“Erin’s onto you,” David said quietly as Erin explained more about the open house to Lucy. “You need to get a better poker face, bud.”

Caden stepped closer to the bar. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You like this one.”

“She’s a pain in my—”

“Right.” David laughed. He made a show of wiping the already-gleaming wood counter when Erin shot him a questioning glance. “You should probably stop staring at her like she’s on the menu and you’re starving.”

“I’m not staring.”

“Erin has been wanting to fix you up for months. She fancies herself a matchmaker.”

Caden groaned. “I’m trying to convince my father to call off the wedding. That’s not exactly going to endear me to Lucy.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you like her,” David said with a shrug.

Before Caden could respond, Erin turned and grabbed his arms.

“Great news,” she shouted over the din of the brewpub. “Lucy’s agreed to help with the adoption event.”

Caden shrugged off her hold and shook his head. “I didn’t ask for her help.”

Erin frowned. “Don’t be rude again.”

“I’m not—”

“You need her.”

“I don’t,” he said through clenched teeth.

Erin pointed a finger at him. “How much of the marketing plan I created have you implemented at this point?”

“I’ve been busy on the ranch.”

“Exactly. Lucy has retail experience in sales and marketing. She’s going to take over for you to make sure we have enough publicity for the event.”

Caden looked over Erin’s shoulder to Lucy. “If you don’t want my help,” she muttered, “it’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Erin insisted. “Ever since word got out that Caden would take on stray animals, people have been bringing them to him left and right. It’s too much. An adoption event right before Christmas is the perfect way to find good families for your sweet babies.”

Caden felt color rise up his throat when Lucy’s mouth kicked up at one corner. “I wouldn’t call them my sweet babies.”

Erin threw up her hands. “You have a certified therapy bunny, Caden. Play the hardened cowboy all you want, but we know you’re a big softy at heart.”

“We do,” Lucy agreed, her eyes dancing with amusement.

“I don’t even know why I agreed to open the barn. I can find homes for the animals on my own.”

“The adoption event is happening, and Lucy’s going to help,” Erin said in the same tone of voice he imagined she used to quiet a room of rowdy five-year-olds.

Caden looked at David. “You’ve got your hands full.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” David answered.

“I’m so glad we met tonight,” Erin said to Lucy as she pulled her in for a tight hug. “I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends.”

Caden’s focus sharpened as he watched Lucy go stiff. All the humor disappeared from her gaze, and instead she looked like someone had just punched her in the gut.

“It was...um...nice to meet you,” she said quickly. “But I’m kind of jet-lagged, so I should probably head back to the ranch. Have a good night.”

She turned and fled, weaving through the crowd so quickly that Caden lost sight of her within a few seconds.

“Was it something I said?” Erin asked quietly.

“Nah, honey.” David reached across the bar to smooth his fiancée’s hair away from her face. “You were brilliant. I’m just not sure Caden’s Lucy is used to having someone as sweet as you offer to be her friend.”

Caden felt his jaw clench. “She’s not mine.”

“Not if you don’t catch up to her,” David agreed.

Caden knew the smart thing to do would be bellying up to the bar and ordering another beer. Lucy Renner seemed plenty capable of taking care of herself. He sure didn’t need her infringing on his life, his friends or his animals. He needed her gone.